Wash. court: Immigration status inadmissible

SEATTLE - SEATTLE (AP) - The Washington state Supreme Court has ruled that a man's illegal immigrant status should not have been introduced in court while he sought damages in a negligence lawsuit against a construction contractor.

In a 7-2 ruling, the high court reversed a lower court decision that upheld a jury verdict against Alex Salas.

The state Supreme Court said admitting Salas' immigration status presented a danger of unfair prejudice.

A native of Mexico, Salas was working on a construction project in Seattle when he fell from a ladder. He was seriously injured and sued the contractor, alleging the ladder did not meet safety codes.

Salas' immigrant status was revealed during a pretrial deposition. He moved to exclude it from trial, but his request was denied.